FAQs

Several factors play a role in your evaluation of potential summer employment.  You will gather information about the quality of a firm's summer program, typical work assignments and opportunities for achievement and educational enrichment.  We've provided some answers to the most frequently asked questions below.  If you have additional questions about the structure of Moore & Van Allen's summer program, please contact our Recruiting Coordinator, Taylor Grayson.  She will be happy to provide you with more information.

How do I apply for a summer associate position?
Second-year law students should drop their resumes during our on-campus visit.  If we have not scheduled a visit to your school or a job fair that is accessible to you, you may send us a cover letter, indicating your preference of office location, along with your resume and transcript.  Per NALP guidelines, first-year law students may submit their resume, transcript and writing sample after December 1.

What is the firm's procedure for call-back interviews?
Our Charlotte office conducts two Flyback Fridays where select candidates travel to our Charlotte office to meet a host of attorneys and other candidates.  Hiring decisions are generally made within ten days following this visit. 

What is the duration of the summer program?
We ask that summer associates spend between six to eight weeks with the firm.  Beginning in 2008, our summer program in Charlotte will begin in early May and run eight week through the end of June.  In our other offices, the summer program runs from mid-May through early August.

Will MVA assist me with finding summer housing?
Yes, a member of our recruiting staff will assist in finding appropriate housing for the summer.  The Charlotte office arranges corporate housing for our summer associates and the cost is subsidized by the firm.

What is the Firm's policy on split summers?
Summer associates are encouraged to split their summers.

How are work assignments allocated to summer associates?
Before the summer begins students are asked to indicate their practice areas of interest.  Over the course of the summer, we try to match assignments to each student's interests.

May I take on pro bono work?
All summer associates are encouraged to take on pro bono work assignments. Summer associates participating in pro-bono work are paired with an attorney as a mentor, and the summer associate acts as the lead on the case.  These projects are typically landlord/tenant disputes or domestic violence suits and give the associate the opportunity to carry a case from start to finish.  We also encourage summer associates to go with lawyers to court, to sit in on conference calls and to get a feel for the typical activities of a full-time Moore & Van Allen attorney. 

Is there a mentor program for summer associates?
Yes, each summer associate is assigned two mentors who will help the student get acquainted with Moore & Van Allen and other lawyers and summer associates at the firm, as well as answer any questions that may come up.

How are summer associates evaluated?
Summer associates are evaluated on the projects that they complete during their clerkship.  These evaluations are reviewed with the individual during formal mid-summer and end-of-summer reviews with their assigned hiring partner.

What percentage of summer associates generally get offers and why don’t some summer associates get offers?

It is Moore & Van Allen’s hope that all summer associates will receive and accept an offer at the end of the summer.  With the increasing flow of work and the growing demand for our services, the firm is able to accommodate the hiring of every summer associate that completes the summer program.  In fact, we work diligently to find a home for each summer associate we bring in, subject to an evaluation of the work they perform while here. 

In 2007, 26 out of 28 summer associates received full-time associate offers or, for first-year summer associates, offers to return as 2Ls.  Those summer associates who do not receive an offer either submitted work product that did not meet our standards, or they were not well-suited for our team-oriented atmosphere. 

How are summer associates compensated?
Moore & Van Allen pays salaries which are at the top of the local market.